Tess and Nick’s wedding in McLeod's Daughters. Photo / Nine
McLeod’s Daughters ran from 2001 to 2009, becoming one of Australia and New Zealand’s most well-loved dramas. Fifteen years after the last episode aired, the Herald looks at where the cast are now.
Australian drama television series McLeod’s Daughters, created by Posie Graeme-Evans and Caroline Stanton, was a fan favourite for many reasons, but mostly because it knew how to tug on the heartstrings of viewers for eight solid years.
Filmed on a 55ha property in Kingsford only an hour out of Adelaide, the show’s 224 episodes followed estranged sisters Claire (played by Lisa Chappell) and Tess (Bridie Carter) as they dealt with the death of their father, forcing them to reunite and run the family cattle station.
Earning millions of views and numerous awards, including for Most Popular Australian Drama Series at the 2005 Logie Awards, Channel 9 ultimately pulled the pin because despite the once-captivating storylines, which included near deaths, heartbreaking losses, kidnappings, farm life and plenty of love stories, by the eighth season,there was a major decline in ratings.
Now, following news that one star hit “rock bottom” financially after the network pulled the series from his schedule, the Herald looks at where the stars of McLeod’s Daughters are now:
Auckland-born actress Chappell, 54, first found fame for her role as Chelsea Redfern in the late-80s show Gloss. However, her most well-known on-screen role was as Claire in McLeod’s Daughters, and she won two Logie Awards, including Most Popular New Female Talent and Most Popular Actress, for her performance.
Despite her theatre background — in which she has performed in stage productions of Chicago, Hamlet and The Thirty-Nine Steps — Chappell maintains a strong fanbase across Australia and New Zealand and continues to act on screen, most recently in Shortland Street with her role of Michelle Beaufort.
Chappell married co-star Chris Taylor in 2001, before separating in 2005. She told Woman’s Weekly in 2018: “I live so differently from most people and friends I grew up with from school. Because I don’t have the same tethers as everyone else, I think that helps me feel young. I’ve shifted 50 times and I’m just a gypsy. It’s just me and my dog, and we follow the work.”
Australian actress Carter continued her acting career in the years after McLeod’s Daughters. Starring in many popular projects, including 800 Words where she played Jan, the now-52-year-old also starred alongside her former co-star, Aaron Jeffery, in the 2009 production Love Letters.
In 2019, Carter made an appearance at the McLeod’s Daughters Bush Christmas Reunion in Lismore with numerous former cast members. She appears to have remained close with her McLeod’s family and even made a post of support wearing Mackinnon’s clothing range.
In her personal life, the actress has welcomed two children with her husband, Michael Wilson — an Australian designer who she married in 2004.
The Wellington-born actress, now 44, continues to base herself in Australia where she works in the world of television. Napier frequently appears on Sea Patrol and Rescue: Special Ops as well as Channel Nine’s Bite Club.
After marrying David Adler, the actress went on to welcome two children. Napier heartbreakingly said goodbye to her father, Marshall Napier, in 2022 after he died aged 70 following a battle with brain cancer.
Marshall is a familiar face for McLeod’s fans who will recognise him as Harry Ryan, the father of Alex and Nick.
After leaving McLeod’s in the show’s seventh season to pursue a career in the US, the Sydney-born star returned for the finale. In the years since the much-loved show wrapped, Carpani has appeared in NCIS: Los Angeles, The Glades and Against the Wall.
Having earned a Gold Logie nomination in 2007 for her work on McLeod’s Daughters, the actress has returned to Australia where it was recently revealed she will be joining the cast of Home and Away to play the character of Claudia.
Most well known for his role as Alex in McLeod’s Daughters, the 53-year-old Auckland-born Kiwi actor is joining Carpani in Home and Away’s Summer Bay where he will play a guest role of James “Jimmy” Fowler.
Jeffery has also appeared in the series Underbelly: Badness as Frank, starred in Neighbours and Wentworth, and in 2021 it was revealed he had been cast in the upcoming Netflix thriller series Pieces of Her — an adaption of the Karin Slaughter novel of the same name.
As for his personal life, the Logie winner tied the knot with his former co-star Zoe Naylor and welcomed their first child together in 2012.
The now-50-year-old, who shares son Ronan with wife Brigitta Wuthe, has fondly reflected on his time on McLeod’s Daughters, telling 9Entertainment in 2019 that a favourite moment of the show for him was performing his own stunts.
“I love the fact that it was all on location, no studio set up, we were out in the bush, we were out in the canola crop, we were up in the windmill, we were actually having a bath in a bath near the windmill, so there was no cheating, there were no visual effects — it was all in camera and I think that was half the appeal,” he said.
In the years since the show wrapped, Pollard has continued acting with his most notable role being Dr James Edmunds in Home and Away. He has also starred as Phelan in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
The actress starred as Stevie Hall from series three through to eight. Despite being nominated for Most Popular Actress at the Logie Awards three times between 2007 and 2009, the 51-year-old recently opened up about life after McLeod’s Daughters, revealing she has left the acting industry and now lives in a caravan with her 14-year-old son.
Speaking to Nine, she said financial stress over the past three years had resulted in her losing her hair and caused her to hide away “from everything and everyone for years”.
Mackinnon appears to have overcome her struggles and has returned to screens as a contestant on the reality series The Summit, hosted by actor Jai Courtney. The action-adventure show is filmed in New Zealand and follows 14 people as they compete to reach the top of Mt Aspiring to win a part of the A$1 million prize.
The Wellington-born actress, now 44, has continued to work in local television. Her most notable roles include Amber Wheeler in the ABC show Upper Middle Bogan and Marissa Taylor in the Australian show Always Greener. One of her most recent roles was Detective Erin Riley in the 2020 show Halifax: Retribution.
She told 9Entertainment: “I cannot tell you how many times I’ve auditioned to play a cop or a detective and never got the job, so the thought of playing a detective was pretty exciting.”
She is now in Queenstown, New Zealand, with actress Rebecca Gibney filming a four-episode murder mystery, A Remarkable Place to Die.
The Australian actor, now 50, was quick to take his career international after he wrapped McLeod’s Daughters. Relocating to the US, the star landed roles in CSI, Castle, Rizzoli & Isles, Pretty Little Liars, Grey’s Anatomy and NCIS.
His most notable role came recently in the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off show Station 19, where he plays Seattle Fire Battalion Chief Lucas Ripley. It seems he isn’t limited to TV either — Tucker has also starred as Einherjar Guard in the 2013 Marvel film Thor: The Dark World.
Lillie Rohan is a NZ Herald reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2020. She specialises in all things relationships and dating, Kiwi celebs we can’t help but love, and TV shows you simply cannot miss out on.